Apparatus for drilling large holes between galleries



June 3, 1958 M. ASCHACKER APPARATUS FOR DRILLING LARGE HOLES BETWEEN GALLERIES.

Filed April 4, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR m mm K N mwm w n S .A A

T W N E m T A .M M

June 3, 1958 M. ASCHACKER 2,837,324

APPARATUS FOR DRILLING LARGE HOLES BETWEEN GALLERIES filed April 4. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTOR {E MW m5.

PATENT ATTORNEYS United States Patent APPARATUS FOR DRILLING LARGE HOLES BETWEEN GALLERIES Martin Aschacker, Blairmore, Alberta, Canada, assignor to West Canadian Collieries Ltd., Blairrnore, Alberta, Canada Application April 4, 1955, Serial No. 499,134

2 Claims. (Cl. 262-4) My invention relates to new and useful improvements in equipment for drilling relatively large diameter holes between galleries or the like in mineral formations, the principal object of my invention being to provide a device whereby this may be accomplished without the use of extremely heavy equipment.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which ensures that the relatively large holes are drilled on a predetermined course and are not permitted to deviate from this course.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which may be used on any angle.

Another object in conjunction with the foregoing object is the provision of a pilot hole, which also acts as a guide for the cutting head.

With the foregoing objects in view and such other objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

.Figure l is a sectional representation of a gallery in a mineral formation showing the pilot hole partially completed.

Figure 2 is a sectional representation of a pair of adjacent galleries with the pilot hole completed.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but with the next size cutting head being pulled through the pilot hole.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but with a larger cutting head being pulled therethrough.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the rotary drilling machine.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged front end view of head.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is an enlarged partially sectioned view of the thrust bearing shoe and sheave.

the cutting Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view of the attachment of the cable to the rod.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

There has been a long felt need in the art of drilling in mineral formations for the provision of a relatively large cutting head which can be operated from one gallery to another and experiments have been made utilizing, a standard rotary drilling machine in order to push this relatively large head through the formation and, at the same time, rotate same.

It will be apparent that this requires relatively heavy equipment and the drill rods which transmit the pushing action, as well as the rotary cutting motion from the machine to the cutting head have to be relatively large and heavy in orderto transmit this motion.

Furthermore, the cutting head is pushed blindly into the mineral surface and, due to varying densities en- 2,837,324 Patented June 3, 1958 "ice countered, it will be obvious that the cutting head may wander in any direction from the desired direction and that there is no method for correcting this drift or wander.

The present invention overcomes all of these disadvan-- In this connection, it will be appreciated that this ma-'- chine may either be suspended from the roof 5 of the gallery or may be set solidly in jacks or mounted on a truck or dolly as conditions may permit.

The drilling machine includes a substantially rectangu lar base framework 5', vertical members 6 and a substantially rectangular upper framework 7. Motive power (not illustrated) is adapted to drive reduction gear 8 which in turn meshes with main drive gear 9. A shaft 10 supported in bearings ll is provided and this shaft may either be splined or of square or other cross-sectional configuration complementary to the hub 12 of the gear 9 so that rotation of the gear 9 rotates the shaft 10, but at the same time, permits the shaft 10 to be moved endwise through the bearings 11 and in order to maintain the gear 9 in the desired position, spacer tubes 13 surround the shaft 10 between the bearings 11 on the framework.

A thrust bearing shoe 14 consisting of a relatively short closed cylinder engagingover the end 15 of the shaft 10, thrust bearing 16 being provided within the shoe 14 to permit the shaft to rotate therewithin, but at the same time to transmit endwise pressure thereo. A cage 17 is provided upon the end of the thrust bearing shoe 14 carrying a sheave 18 mounted for rotation upon pin 19.

A winch 20 is mounted upon a plate 21 outstanding from the framework 7 and a cable 21'extends from the winch around the sheave 18 and is anchored at a point 22 upon the framework and at a pointopposite to the positioning of the winch 20.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that shaft 10, while rotating, may be moved in the direction of arrow 23 merely by winching the cable 21', thus shortening same. In this connection, it should be appreciated that the length of shaft 10 should be greater than the length of a conventional drill red, the purpose of which will hereinafter be described.

The inner end 24 of the shaft 10 is provided with a universal joint 25 and a suitable adapter 26 for the purpose of attaching a drill rod length into the shaft 10.

The first stage of the process as shown in Figures 1 and 2 consists of drilling a pilot hole 27 through the mineral formation 3 to the second gallery 2 and this isv to the second gallery as illustrated in Figure 2, whereupon A the drill rods are removed and the drill bit is substituted with a relativelylarge cutting head collectively designated 28.

The construction of this cutting head includes an annular ring 29, a hub 30, and a plurality of vanes 31 extending between the ring 29 and. the hub. The configuration of the vanes 31 is clearly shown in Figure 8 and it will be observed that clips 32 are secured adjacent the forward edge 33 of the ring 29 within which are detachably supported cutting elements or picks 34, said cutting elements being clamped in position by means of set screws 35. Also, inner cutting elements 34' are mounted upon the forward edge 36 of the vanes 31 in a similar manner.

At the rear end of the cutting head, a universal joint 37 is provided, to which is secured the forward end 38 of the associated drilling rods and this universal is important inasmuch as it permits slight sag of the drilling rods without upsetting the directional travel of the cutting head. Extending forwardly from the hub 39 is a pilot tube 39 having a bearing 40 adjacent the forward ends thereof through which passes a rod 41 to the forward end 42 of which is secured a cable 43. The opposite end of the rod 41 is supported within a further bearing 44 and extends through a thrust bearing 45 to the rear face of which it is secured by means of a nut and washer 46.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the cutting head 28 may be rotated, together with the hub and the pilot tube 39, upon rod 41 and at the same time, rod 41, through the agency of cable 43, may impart forward motion to the cutting head without the rod or the cable being rotated.

Proceeding now to describe the second stage of the operation, reference should be made to Figure 3, which shows a cutting head such as has been described hereinabove in the process of following the pilot hole 27 In this connection, a winch 47 is provided in gallery 2 connected to the afore-mentioned cable 43, which passes over a guiding sheave 44' for directional purposes.

The operation of this stage of the process consists of securing the cutting head 28 on the forward end of a drill rod, which drill rod is then connected to the adapter 26 of the drilling machine and is rotated thereby. During this rotation, the winch 47 pulls the cutting head forwardly, said cutting head being guided by the engagement of the pilot tube 39 within the pilot hole 27.

In other words, the drilling machine merely supplies a rotary power to the cutting head, and no thrust whatsoever, the forward motion of the cutting head depending entirely upon the winch 47.

Figure 4 shows a further stage in the process wherein an even larger cutting head 28' of similar construc- 5 tion to the cutting head hereinbefore described, is being pulled through the enlarged hole 48 which now acts as a pilot hole for this stage of the drilling cycle in a manner similar to that hereinbcfore described. In this connec tion, steadying rest 49 may be provided, particularly if the difference between galleries l and2 is considerable.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that with this process and apparatus, there is complete control of the direction of the drill hole, and that the drilling of relatively large diameter holes may be done in stages with equipment of relatively light power.

Finally, it should be pointed out that when the cutting head 28 is being pulled through the formation, additional drill rod lengths may be fed upon the end merely by sliding the shaft 11) in a direction opposite to arrow 23, winch 20 under these circumstances being used to keep tension upon the ends of the drilling rods, and also to control the sliding of shaft ill).

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely ditferent embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A device for drilling minerals from between one gallery and another comprising in combination a rotary drilling machine, situated in one of said galleries, a sliding shaft rotatable by said machine, means associated with said drilling machine adapted to provide rotary motion and forward motion to said sliding shaft, means on one end of said sliding shaft for detachably securing associated length of drill rod thereto, a cutting head rotatable by said drilling machine, and winch means situated in the other of said galleries adapted to pull said cutting head through a pilot hole extending between said galleries, said cutting head including an annular ring, cutting elements adjustably secured around the front perimeter of said ring, a hub, a set of vanes extending between said ring and said hub, cutting elements secured to the forward edges of said vanes, means adjacent to the rear of said vanes for attaching said cutting head to said associated drill rod, a pilot tube extending forwardly from said hub, said winch means including a cable attached to said cutting head, and means mounting said cutting head to said cable whereby the former rotates around the latter, said last mentioned means including a rod extending through said pilot tube, said pilot tube including bearings supporting same for rotation on said rod, said cable being secured to the forward end of said rod, the rear end of said rod extending through said hub, and a thrust bearing between the rear end of said rod and said hub.

2. A device for drilling minerals from between one gallery and another comprising in combination a rotary drilling machine, situated in one of said galleries, a sliding shaft rotatable by said machine, means associated with said drilling machine adapted to provide rotary motion and forward motion to said sliding shaft, means on one end of said sliding shaft to detachably secure an associated length of drill rod, a cutting head rotatable by said drilling machine, and winch means situated in the other of said galleries adapted to pull said cutting head through a pilot hole extending between said galleries, said drilling machine including a framework, a sliding shaft mounted for rotation and endwise movement within said framework, a drive gear on said shaft, means coacting between said gear and said shaft adapted to rotate said shaft by said gear and adapted to permit endwise movement of said shaft relative to said gear, and means to control said endwise movement, said winch means including a cable attached to said cutting head, said cutting head including an annular ring, cutting elements adjustably secured around the front perimeter of said ring, a hub, a set of vanes extending between said ring and said hub, means adjacent the rear of said vanes for attaching said cutting head to said associated drill rod, a pilot tube extending forwardly from said hub, and means mounting said cutting head to said cable whereby the former rotates around the latter, said last mentioned means including a rod extending through said tube, said tube including bearings supporting same for rotation on said rod, said cable being secured to the forward end of said rod, the rear end of said rod extending through said hub, and a thrust bearing between the rear end of said rod and said hub.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,728,914 Berry Sept. 24, 1929 1,878,036 Vodoz Sept. 20, 1932 1,998,294 Thomas et al. Apr. 16, 1935 2,633,334 Lavender Mar. 31, 1953 2,669,441 Castanoli et al. Feb; 16, 1954 2,684,834 Miller et a1. July 27, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 517,596 .Belgium Feb. 28, 1953 

